And So it Goes
by BigW999
Summary: Weiss hasn't cried in eight years, her walls around her heart solid, but a new student may just have her rethinking those walls, but will she ever be able to cry again? Set in a regular life AU (No grimm, no aura). I definitely recommend listening to Billy Joel's And So it Goes, as it will be a theme in this story. Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or "And So it Goes"
1. And So it Goes

And So It Goes

_In every heart, there is a room_

_A sanctuary safe and strong,_

_To heal the wounds from lovers past,_

_Until a new one comes along._

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><p>Weiss never cried.<p>

A Schnee never cries, that's what she's always been told. She was only ever allowed to cry once, the day of her mother's funeral. Truthfully, from her death until her funeral Weiss had yet to shed a single tear, not from a lack of emotion, but from an overload. She was so distraught that she simply couldn't cry, she was in shock, and still couldn't fully comprehend what was going on. Then the funeral, the speeches, paying respects, and the procession to the gravesite. Only as Weiss watched the pallbearers lower the casket into the grave did she finally break. Shaking uncontrollably as the emotions overtook her, she attempted to hide her tears from her father. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, amazed to find tears rolling down his face as well. He knelt down and took her hands, looking her in the eyes he told her,

"_Ten minutes. We get ten minutes, then never again."_

He pulled her to him and they wept together, clinging on for fear of the other simply fading away. They cried without restraint for ten minutes, at which point they pulled back, and in that moment a pact was forged in their pain, _Never Again._ They would never again shed a tear, the only way they could move on, the only way they could stay sane. And they didn't, not on birthdays spent alone, not on holidays devoid of warmth, and especially not on _that_ day.

But sadness is necessary, it shows us what it is to be unhappy, so that happiness is stronger. Without sadness, there is no happiness either, only an unfillable emptiness.

So Weiss, at the age of nine, learned to harden her heart, learned to build walls to protect herself, and it would be many years until those walls fell.

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><p><em>Five years later<em>:

Weiss simply stood there as he walked out. Her now ex-boyfriend had just finished his final tirade of how Weiss was broken, how she couldn't feel anything, not even love, _especially not love_, Weiss thought bitterly as he walked to his parent's car. His words had hurt, but not severely enough to bring up much but anger in Weiss, she tried to feel, she really did. But for some reason, she could never laugh at his jokes, only chuckle lightly. She could never greet him with enthusiasm, her expression upon seeing him was, using his expressions, "_only vague interest". _

"_Look at you!" _He had shouted, "_Your boyfriend of three months is standing here telling you you're broken, telling you he's leaving you, and all you can do is stand there and look at me as though I'm some kind of animal yapping at you! You aren't crying, you aren't laughing, you aren't fighting to keep me and you aren't pushing me away! Just show me _something _Weiss! Anything to prove that these last few months have meant anything to you other than simply titling a boy in your life!"_ She couldn't. And after a few moments he sighed. he took her hand, kissed it lightly, and said, "_I hope you find yourself in there Weiss, I really do. I can see it. Fighting to break free, but I can't try to coax it out anymore. I'm sorry." _And he had left with that.

"_What does _he _know," _Weiss thought aloud, "_He has no idea what's inside me, how I really feel."_ Weiss called her father, and while she waited outside the restaurant where her date had been, she couldn't help but wondering what she did feel. Certainly there was hurt, not necessarily deep pain, but hurt nonetheless. Then she realized that the hurt did not stem from his leaving, even now the thought of no longer being with him did not affect her at all, it was that he had pegged her so well. Somehow he had, in fact, been able to see that Weiss was holding herself back. That her walls never lowered or even cracked. She was disturbed that she could be read so well, and even more so that he said he had tried to get through. Weiss looked down at her bracelet. It bore only one charm, a red snowflake. Red, her mother's favorite color, always seemed to calm her, made her able to think straight. Taking a deep breath she vowed at that point to not allow anyone else to see through her facade, lest someone actually damage her walls.

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><p><em>Three years later, the present day<em>:

Weiss Schnee was a legend at Signal High. Everyone knew of the girl that was Heiress to her father's diamond company. She definitely stood out in the crowd, with her flowing white hair that fell to her lower back, tied in a high, off-centered ponytail. Her fashion sense was pretty vibrant too, always catching attention. Whether her shirt was white or blue, it was always covered with her white leather jacket, which was almost always zipped at least halfway, no matter what time of year it was. She always wore acid washed jeans, not tight but also not too loose. But what was always strange to everyone were her shoes, red sneakers with white laces. People learned a long time ago not to ask about her shoes. No one wanted to be victim to the glacial stare that would inevitably follow the question. And no one ever dared to ask about her scar, a thin, pink line, vertical on her left eye, contrasting to the vibrant blue of her irises. It was the only blemish on her otherwise flawless skin. Today she had covered it with makeup, deciding that she did not want the new freshmen to stare any more than they already would.

In the last three years Weiss had not dated anyone else. Not for a lack of asking, of course. Boys, and even several girls, had tried to get the so called "Ice Queen" to go out with them, but she turned them all down. In short, Weiss was an enigma that the student body of Signal was more than happy to just leave alone. Until today.

It was the first day of senior year and Weiss was wearing her trademark outfit complete with her high school class ring, Specially ordered by her father, the ring was platinum with a bright sapphire set into it, and Weiss was pleased by how well it went with her usual attire. Inlaid with obsidian was her graduation year, an eighth note to signify her years of choral classes, and a rapier to signify her fencing lessons. People marveled at how bright it was and how expensive it must have been, and Weiss smirked at that. _Let them be jealous, _she thought, pleased that the ring was another symbol of her superiority.

As she was walking to her locker, she spotted someone trying to put in the combo to the locker next to it. Weiss immediately scowled at the sight, the locker next to her's had always been vacant, and once assigned a locker at Signal, it didn't change for the time there, new students simply being put in the areas that the previous seniors had vacated, so for someone to be in this area meant they had to be in her class, which meant they had to be a transfer.

As Weiss stalked up to her locker, she took note of the girl standing next to her. She wore a red zippered hoodie over a simple black t-shirt, black jeans with a red leather belt, and, in contrast to everything else, silver sneakers with blue laces and faint sparkles of glitter. Her hair was a chocolate brown with red tips, and as she looked over to the approaching girl Weiss was intrigued to see that the girl's eyes were silver as well. Her face looked much too young to belong to a senior so Weiss walked up and said,

"Freshmen lockers are in the one hundred wing, this is the three hundred wing, only seniors have lockers here."

The girl looked up, a bit flushed at having been caught struggling with her locker and said, "But I am a senior. My family moved here last month and this school does testing to determine placement of all transfers, and they said I belonged with the senior class."

"Well what were you when you left your other school?" Weiss asked.

The girl looked a bit sheepish as she replied, "I was going to be a sophomore, they moved me up two years."

_Two years! _Weiss thought incredulously, _She must be incredibly intelligent, even if she may be a bit childish looking. _Weiss was still a little miffed that her personal space was now invaded by having someone in the neighboring locker, and she looked on curiously as the girl continued to flub her combination.

"Damn!" the girl said, "They had keypad locks back at Sanctum High, I've never used these before."

Weiss said, "Dunce, you have to do one full rotation left before you can do your second number."

She tried it, and it worked, the lock pulling open. "Thanks…"

"Weiss"

"Ah, Thanks Weiss! My name is Ruby, pleased to meet you!" She stuck out her right hand.

Weiss simply gave her a curt nod before closing her own locker and heading off to her own class.

"I guess I'll see you around!" Ruby called after her as Weiss turned the corner.


	2. The Girl in Red

**So here's chapter two, this is out a little faster than the chapters will normally be coming out, I just happened to have chapter two almost finished by the time I published chapter one. It's also a little longer, which is what I'll be going for with the rest of the chapters hopefully! So without further ado, Chapter Two! Disclaimer: RWBY is not owned by me, it is owned by Monty Oum at Rooster Teeth Productions**

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><p>Weiss's first class, Advanced Calculus, went off without a hitch, she sat in the front, as always, was the first to answer every question, as always, and of course, completed the assigned work in the last half-hour of the ninety minute class without even checking her answers in the back of the book. The bell rang to signify the end of the period and she began swiftly walking to her Advanced History class. Other students would stand and talk to their friends, but Weiss always went straight to her classes, never seeing the point in standing about doing nothing when there is work to be done.<p>

As she entered the room she was greeted by probably the only girl that she could consider her friend.

"Hello Weiss," the onyx haired girl said with a light smile.

"Hello Blake. How has your morning been?"

Amber eyes flicked back to her book as she replied, "Not particularly eventful, though there was a new girl in my speech class this morning."

"The silver-eyed girl, yes I met her this morning."

Blake looked up and said, "Actually this girl had lavender eyes, with long blonde hair, said her family had just moved here last month."

"They must be sisters," Weiss replied, and described her encounter with the brunette girl at her locker earlier in the day.

Blake motioned for Weiss to sit at the desk next to her at the front of the room, and she sat down, taking notice of what her friend was wearing. Blake had gone with her normal clothes today, electing to look like she always did instead of wearing anything special. She was wearing a simple white button-down blouse and black skirt that went down to her knees, her purple leggings ending in a pair of black heels, not very tall, only about an inch, but stylish all the same. Her long black hair had a deep velvet bow tied in it, and her black wool jacket laid across the back of the chair.

They were definitely contrasting, at least to the casual observer, but Blake's quiet nature and love of literature was what drew the two of them together, Weiss finally able to find someone quiet to study with, and Blake someone to talk about her favorite novels with. It was an odd friendship, but it suited them nonetheless.

Class was about a minute from starting and almost everyone had arrived, when they heard a loud crash from outside the hall.

"I'm really _really_ sorry!" Ruby burst into the classroom backwards, crashing into another student, "Eep! Sorry!"

"Speak of the devil and she will come," Weiss muttered.

Ruby turned around to see that everyone was staring and, gulping loudly, retreated to an empty desk in the back of the room.

"She doesn't look that bad," Blake observed, "Just a little disheveled. I would probably be in the same position if I had to jump in to a class two years ahead of me in a place I've never been before."

"That does not excuse clumsiness, she needs to be more careful or else she will end up hurting someone." Weiss huffed, "Now, who is teaching this class? Someone named Dr. Oob-"

The bell rang and at the same moment a flurry of papers rose up at the desk as a teacher that surely had not been there a moment ago appeared standing behind it.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, My name is Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck and I will be leading you through the fantastical journey that is the history of our world!" If Ruby had looked a little disheveled walking into class, Oobleck was the very definition of the word. His white button-down shirt was only half tucked in, his green hair wild as it stuck out in tufts all over his head. His yellow tie was hanging crooked and loose around his neck, and his shoes were two different colors. The only thing he seemed to have straight were his glasses, behind which shone a pair of very intense brown eyes. "Now I see you all have chosen your desired seats, good. Everyone stand! I have taken the liberty of forming a seating chart for all of you! This seating is non-negotiable, and will be permanent for the first semester!"

The students groaned as Dr. Oobleck activated the projector hanging from the ceiling and brought down the screen. Everyone stood there as the class layout faded into view. Weiss immediately noticed that she would not be seated next to Blake. Blake would be in the front left of the class. Weiss searched for her name and scowled as she saw her name in the back middle of the classroom. Weiss hated the back of the room. As she moved to grab her seat she heard a loud yelp behind her followed immediately by being knocked headfirst into her desk.

"YOU DOLT! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Weiss shrieked, looking up to find a very flustered and frightened Ruby standing over her.

"I'm so so so _soooo_ sorry! I was just climbing over to my desk and I slipped and-"

"Does it look like I _care_ what your reason is?!" Weiss seethed, "Why didn't you just go around like a sane human! You are a danger to everyone around you!"

Dr. Oobleck jumped in, "Now Miss Schnee, I have to ask you to stop shouting, I'm sure that what Miss Rose did was an accident and that she did not intend to harm you. Do you need to see the nurse?"

Weiss brushed herself off and took a breath, still angry she said, "No, I do not. Thank you Dr. Oobleck.

"Then take your seats! I see that you and Miss Rose are seated next to each other so that should give you an opportunity to work out these issues!"

"WHAT!" They both exclaimed

"I can't sit next to her," Weiss said, "She'll probably end up breaking my spine with her clumsiness!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry _princess_!" Ruby fumed.

"It's heiress, actually," Blake said, "Just wanted to make sure you get your titles right."

Weiss glared at her icily, and Blake sat in her seat, barely suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh _I_ see," Ruby sneered, "Prissy little rich girl just doesn't want to get her clothes ruffled. How much did daddy pay for those anyway?"

The entire room was in shock. They could swear the temperature in the room fell sharply. No one had _ever_ spoken to Weiss Schnee like that before. The last person who had done this in freshman year had been forced to move because their parents couldn't get jobs or secure any form of credit anywhere in the vicinity of the school. Everyone knew her father was the one who had secured that, so no one else ever spoke back to Weiss, doing their best to keep their families from ending up bankrupt.

Weiss allowed her darkest, most icy glare settle on Ruby in that moment, throwing all of her anger into those silver eyes.

Ruby wavered under her stare as she realized what she had said. she put her hands over her mouth and tried to become as small as humanly possible. "Oh crap, I'm sorry Weiss, I'm really sorry! I don't normally talk that way I was just upset I didn't mean anything by it please don't be mad!" Ruby rambled on about how sorry she was, almost never stopping to take a breath, until Weiss spoke.

"Just sit down and don't ever speak to me again"

"Okay," Ruby's gaze fell, and she sat, a defeated expression on her face.

"Alright! Now that that's all settled," Oobleck exclaimed, "let's all open our textbooks to chapter one!"

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><p>As the class ended and lunch began Weiss watched as Ruby bolted from the room, moving almost impossibly fast. <em>I guess she's hungry<em>, Weiss thought as she waved to Blake, a silent agreement that they would meet in their usual spot for lunch. She went to her locker and was annoyed to see the red girl talking to some tall, tough looking blonde girl with lavender eyes. _This must be the girl that Blake met this morning_.

Weiss walked up to the two girls, brushing them aside, saying in a superior voice, "Excuse me, my locker is here and you two are in the way."

"Eep! Sorry Weiss!" Ruby said, backing away. The blonde girl, however, did not.

"Hey! I heard about what you said to my sister, I think you owe her an apology!"

Weiss regarded her coldly, taking a moment to examine the girl before her. Upon inspection, the girl's hair was very blonde, more of a gold really, bright and vibrant, almost as if it had it's own energy source. There was an intensity to her lavender eyes that made it appear as though the color was changing to red. The girl had earrings that resembled a flame dangling from her ears. She was wearing a brown leather jacket that looked not quite as stylish as Weiss's own jacket, but was clearly more for fashion than function. Under that was a yellow tank top with the same symbol as her earrings on the left side of her rather large chest. She wore black skinny jeans that were cut off at around mid thigh, Weiss had to wonder how that fit into the dress code. To finish off her look she wore knee high brown leather boots with above-the-knee yellow socks, one of which had been pushed down to be level with the top of her boot.

"Why should I apologize?" Weiss asked harshly, "She was the one that bumped into me! I've got a bruise forming on my forehead from where I hit my desk!" To prove her point Weiss moved her bangs aside to show that indeed there was a small bruise forming above her right eye. "And she was rude and disrespectful, insulting me in front of the entire class!"

Ruby jumped in at that at that remark, "I really am sorry about that, sometimes I get worked up and I just say whatever pops into my head. I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"Oh trust me you didn't, I don't spend time caring about insults from people like you." Weiss huffed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ruby asked

"I don't care what hyperactive children with poor judgement say to me that's all."

"Hey! It's only a two year difference!"

"And apparently those two years would've been used to give you coordination and fine motor skills, even though that's something most _children_ have by the age of three, _you_ clearly have yet to acquire those skills."

"Hey!" the blonde girl butted in, "You shouldn't talk to her that way! She's just trying to be nice. She feels really bad about what happened, in case you haven't noticed! You guys don't have to be best friends or anything, just let her know that it's okay so she won't beat herself up for the rest of the day!"

Weiss looked back at Ruby, and for the first time she noticed the girl's face. Her silver eyes were pointing at the floor, and they were brimming with tears. She really did look as though she was about to break down. Weiss sighed. Contrary to popular belief, Weiss did not enjoy hurting other people. Making people feel inferior and actively hurting their feelings were two different things, and Weiss was of the school of thought that believed that a person's individual pain was hard enough to deal with on a daily basis, and there was no excuse for adding to someone's pain. _That bitch from freshman year was an exception_, Weiss thought.

Weiss's expression softened a little while looking at Ruby, and she put her hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "I accept your apology, Ruby, and I admit, I may have, overreacted a little bit." Ruby glanced up a bit, but still had a teary expression, "Okay, a lot. I'm sorry, I was just shocked is all."

Ruby looked up all the way and looked Weiss in the eyes, "Thank you Weiss." She said, a small smile forming on her face and a gleam in her silver eyes.

_Hmph, that's kinda cute,_ Weiss thought, _Wait, what? Where did that come from? I haven't thought anything was cute since… since Blake's cats were kittens._ Weiss cleared her throat, feeling her face flush a little at the thoughts she was having. "Now that we've taken care of that, I don't believe I caught your name." Weiss turned to the blonde girl.

"My name is Yang! I'm Ruby's older sister!" Yang stated, as though being Ruby's sister was the proudest thing in her life.

"Well then, Ruby, Yang, I'm glad we could look past these problems. I have to go meet my friend for lunch, but perhaps I'll see you around school later, maybe without the crashing into things."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically, "I hope so, See ya later Weiss!"

"Yeah later," Yang said, still looking a bit suspicious of Weiss.

With that, Weiss turned and entered the library, which just so happened to be next to her locker, which Weiss always considered to be incredibly convenient.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading, please, if you have time drop a review! They're always helpful to the process! And as always, fav and follow. I'll try to be putting out at least one if not more chapters a week, so keep your eyes peeled!<strong>


	3. The Family Schnee

**Okay, it has been well over a week since my last chapters, sorry about that. I'm still figuring this story out. If you have been paying attention to the events of yesterday, (I assume most of you have), then as of this posting there have been no updates on Monty's condition. I am hoping this chapter may come as a brief distraction from the goings on, and hopefully make you smile a little bit. The community is incredible and has raised more than $150,000 for medical expenses and family for Monty, If you want to help, and somehow don't know about this, there is a link in Burnie's journal on the main page of Rooster Teeth. Get Well Monty, we're all pulling for you!**

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><p>Weiss didn't see Ruby again that day, after lunch she had Chamber Choir with Mr. Garner, followed by Advanced Literature with Mrs. Linville. Thankfully she had that class with Blake, because, judging by the syllabus, she would definitely need help. Weiss was never able to interpret symbolism or theme in books. As much as she loved to read, as far as she was concerned a writer meant what they wrote, and she was hard pressed to find underlying meaning, no matter how hard she tried. Fortunately Blake was a little more versed in the tones, motifs, and various meanings in lines of literature, otherwise Weiss would surely end up with a less than stellar mark in the course.<p>

As she drove home from school, Weiss couldn't shake one thing from her mind, _I think I was too hard on Ruby. My father always tells me that tact and patience are something I should strive for. Of course, I think that was meant for business dealings, but I suppose the same could be said for daily interactions. Ugh, I was so upset though, she really could have hurt me! People die from lesser head wounds all the time! Still, she did look really upset. Perhaps the next time I deal with her I'll try exercising some caution in my words._

She was broken from these thoughts as she pulled into the garage of their home. While their house wasn't quite the full-scale mansion on the hill, It was the nicest house in the richest neighborhood in the city. A two story, Victorian style house with a wraparound porch, painted a faint blue. The house was way too big for the two of them alone, it had become painfully obvious when Winter left for college two years prior.

Weiss walked in and was greeted by the sight of her father seated at the kitchen table, staring intensely at his laptop screen.

"Dad, I'm home."

"Hello, Weiss. How was your day?"

"My day was… fine, what about yours?" She asked as she sat at the table to pull out her books.

"Nothing particularly eventful occurred today. Now, as for you, I know what that 'fine' means. Tell me what happened."

Weiss huffed, she was always annoyed at how perceptive he was. She really shouldn't be, he had been this way for as long as she can remember. James Schnee was an extremely perceptive individual, it came with the territory. When you run a company that handles eighty percent of all diamonds and jewels that enter the country, you learn how to read your various business associates. Of course, it's a plus when you can use this to convince your own daughter to talk to you. Her ice blue eyes glared into his own. She realized that he wasn't going to back down, so she took a breath.

"There was an… incident in history class this morning"

Weiss went on to describe how she had met Ruby, and what had transpired in their shared class.

"I hit my head pretty hard," Weiss said. She pulled back her bangs, showing her father the bruise that had gotten darker since the incident. "I was lucky that it didn't do more damage."

Her father's face softened momentarily looking at the injury. "I can get you an ice pack if that still hurts."

Weiss shook her head, "I'll be fine, thank you though."

James nodded, "So then you went on to publicly berate this girl?"

"Yes," Weiss responded sheepishly. "I am aware that I handled the situation poorly, and, after the class, I met up with her and her sister at the lockers. The sister, Yang I believe her name was, informed me that I had hurt Ruby's feelings, and I apologized."

"I am glad that you can see where you were wrong," her father said. "And I'm even more impressed that you took it upon yourself to apologize. You did very well, although maybe next time attempt to avoid the public defamation."

His daughter nodded, "I still don't know what I'm going to about her though. I have to see her every day, I mean her locker is right next to mine."

James put on a pensive expression, "Perhaps this is an opportunity. For you, I mean, to make another friend. Blake is a good friend, don't misunderstand, but this could help you improve your social skills."

"I don't see the need to worry about making friends. It's senior year, I need to stay focused on my schoolwork so I can make to Beacon University next year."

"Weiss, your cumulative GPA is four point seven. I'm very proud of how you've done, and I'm certain you will be accepted no matter how this year goes. Take this opportunity to expand your social education. I could have sent you to any private school in the country, but I chose public school because there are some social elements to this type of schooling that are lost in private schools. You'll find that this will help you later, no matter where you end up."

The heiress sighed, "Alright, I'll give it my best shot, but no promises. Ruby is _really _annoying."

Her father chuckled, "I'm sure you will. And everyone can be annoying sometimes, Weiss, even you," he said, a sly grin forming on his face.

Weiss feigned surprise, "Me, annoying? _Never._" she grabbed her homework and made her way up to her room. "See you at dinner, dad."

Weiss walked in to her sparsely decorated room and sat down at her desk. As she began to look over her homework, she heard a video call chime from her laptop. She glanced at the clock, _4:15, right on time._

She opened her laptop and was greeted by the smiling face of her sister.

"Hey, sis!"

"Hey, Winter." Winter Schnee looked a lot like her sister, the main difference being that she kept her white hair cut short, and her eyes were less of an ice blue, and more of a sky blue.

"What's up, bean? You seem down in the dumps."

Weiss smiled at the nickname, "Nothing really, just a strange day at school…"

"Well, go on and tell me!"

For the second time that day, Weiss described meeting the new girls, and her subsequent conversation with her father.

Winter thought for a moment, "You know, I really hate to say this, but I think father is right, you should make more friends. Come out of your shell! You'd be surprised how many more people will want to know you if you loosen up a little bit."

"I'm comfortable with the amount of people around me currently. Why do you and dad want me to change so much? Next you'll be telling me I need to listen to 'Achieve Men' and read those stupid 'X-Ray and Vav' comic books that you love so much."

Winter laughed, "Hey, 'Achieve Men' music can solve any problems, no matter what they are, and don't get me started on the benefits of 'X-Ray and Vav'!" She gave her sister a smile. "I'm not trying to change you, Weiss, you're great the way you are. I just want you to be happy, and I think friends may help with that."

"I know, and I appreciate you worrying about me. I'll try, I will, just don't expect necessarily stellar results. But that's enough about me, what about you? How's college going?"

"I'm good! I met a guy this weekend…"

They talked for the next two hours about nothing really important, laughing and catching up. They tried to talk at least once every week, but due to Winter's schedule it had been two weeks since their last call. Weiss had missed having her sister around the last couple of years. The house had gotten colder without her. Her father cared about her, she knew that for sure, but he was not very good at expressing love, not as good as Winter anyway.

"Hey I'm sorry but I have to go, bean. Have a fantastic week! Please try and make friends with those new girls, I think it could really be good for you."

Weiss sighed, "Like I said, I'll give it my best shot. I'm not very good at this so I am unsure of how it will turn out."

Winter smiled, "I guess that's all I can ask for. I'll call you next week, I love you, sis."

"I love you too, Winter, goodnight."

Weiss closed her laptop as her sister's image disappeared. She tried to go back to her homework, but she couldn't keep her head clear enough to focus. _So, everyone thinks I should befriend these new people, why? I don't need more friends, I've been very adamant about that, but now both dad and Winter seem convinced that it will help me in some way. I can see the benefits that my dad put forward. In business, appearing friendly can be very helpful in creating deals, and I suppose the only way to learn how to be friendly is to try and make friends. But Winter said it could help me be happy, I am happy! At least, as happy as I need to be. It can be lonely sometimes, Blake isn't exactly the most exuberant of personalities, but she is an excellent friend and has helped me cope with quite a few things the last couple of years. I guess I just do not see what I can get from a friendship with those two. We are nothing alike! They both have high energy, and Ruby, at least, is obnoxious, whereas I am calm and collected. Ugh! I'll ask Blake tomorrow morning what I should do. If she is of the same opinion as my father and sister, then I suppose I'll have no choice but to try and be friends with those hooligans._

Confident in her decision, she went back to her studies. She was about to start on her readings in the textbooks when she smelled something delicious outside her room. upon opening the door, she found her dinner, chicken carbonara, sitting on the floor and a note taped to the outside of her door.

_Weiss,_

_I came to give you your dinner and heard you talking to Winter, I did not want to interrupt so I left your dinner out here, hopefully you find it before it gets too cold. I know it's your favorite dish and assumed it would be welcome, considering the events of today. As you and I both have work to do, I shall leave you to dine in peace. I will see you tomorrow morning for breakfast._

_Dad_

Weiss chuckled at the note, it was a sweet gesture on her father's part. His notes had not gotten any less awkward over the years, but she found it very endearing. Weiss grabbed her dinner and sat down back at her desk, as she started eating she thought, _Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day._

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><p><strong>AN: I know the story is running slow for some people's taste, but I assure you, there will be romance in here, soon. I also need to revise my statement that I can push out one or two of these a week. I am not abandoning this story, by any means, simply taking longer to write. I have never written before so I am still trying to find my footing, please bear with me. I would like to thank Cowjump for some fantastic insights and help on how to look over and edit my story, if you have not read his work, I highly recommend it! I do not own RWBY, it is the property of the amazing Monty Oum, Get well soon Monty!<strong>


	4. Rest in Peace, Monty Oum

Today is a day of great sorrow for the Rooster Teeth community. Yesterday at 4:34 PM CST, Monty Oum passed away at 33 years old. I am truly very sad, I never got the chance to meet Monty, but for those who did and for those who worked with him, I cannot imagine the loss they are feeling right now. On the Rooster Teeth home page, there is a Journal from Matt, asking that in our mourning, we do something creative, fill the world with our imagination the way that Monty did, so that's what I propose we do. Keep on writing, reading, and watching what has been made. All of this, Everything, it is for Monty now. We couldn't have done any of this if it wasn't for him. So let's keep doing it, RWBY is one of Monty's legacies, and we would be a pitiful excuse for fans if we did not Honor it in some way. I will keep writing, with a heavy heart.

Goodbye, Monty Oum, We love you, and miss you, may you finally have peace.

I wrote this on the day of the announcement and I admit that I did not have the words necessary to give a proper tribute to Monty Oum. I was angry and sad and afraid all at the same time, that being said what I wrote still reflects my feelings so I will let it stand, adding this merely as an amendment.

Monty Oum was such a creative soul, he had a fire that refused to give to even the strongest of deterrents. Whether it be time constraints or a lack of knowledge, he never ceased in his drive to create and add substance to the world around him. I myself was in a dark place when I found RWBY. I had watched RVB and I loved Let's Plays, but the cynical humor and overreaching sarcasm, while fun, was not helping out of this hole. When I finally watched RWBY, I was gifted with lighthearted and pleasant atmospheres. Of course RWBY has darker undertones, but in essence the theme was hope. So I rode out of my dark on this hope, and it gave my life a different meaning. It took quite a while longer to really identify Monty as a member of the Rooster Teeth crew, but I eventually could not deny his genius and how it had affected me. I was finally enjoying myself again, and I had Monty to thank for it. It is my greatest regret thus far that I never thanked him for it. I never tweeted or messaged him my thanks. I found myself at such a loss on the day of the announcement, because a happiness in my life, a bright beacon of endless possibility, had been suddenly snuffed out. The world became grey, and a little emptier. But over the course of the week I have come to realize something. A fire like Monty's never truly dies, it is simply passed along, spread around. It is a fire that we share. Monty had so much of it, that all we had to do is bask in it's light to feel comfortable, but now it is in us. It is our responsibility to see that this flame never dies, that his life was more than just a show we watched online and wrote about. This fire, it lacks a source now, and we must take it up and make it burn bright. It may never be as bright as his, but we will strive to make shine. RWBY, Haloid, Dead Fantasy, these each carry a part of Monty's life and soul, all of the effort he put into giving us something from his own mind. In a way, we've all met Monty Oum, simply through what he has given us. Now it's our turn to give back, to keep on sending this fire into the world. Whether RWBY is continued or not, it will always exist in our stories and in our hearts, and that is a far better legacy than any simple program. Monty Oum touched my life, and I will be eternally grateful to him for it. I will continue to write and dream, not just for Monty, but for everyone who now shares his fire.

Time for your final bow, the lights are dimming.

The curtains have closed, you can finally leave the stage,

As the crowd cheers on...

We love you, Monty.

Sleep Well.


	5. Gym Class

**So another chapter here! Finally. I still don't want to make a schedule but the chapters after this should be easier, as I have finally broken my writer's block! As always reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites. As always I don't own RWBY, it is the property of Rooster Teeth. Enjoy Gym Class!**

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><p>The day had started out just fine. Weiss left early for school, arriving about a half hour before the start of classes. She immediately headed for the library, searching for her quiet friend who could help shed some light on the daunting task of befriending the new sisters. Weiss entered the brightly lit library and looked around. The library was a rather spacious room, with a bank of computers on the right side, and the majority of books on the left. Beyond that the room opened up into a large round space that had floor to ceiling windows all along the back wall, with tables in the center and all along the windowed wall. It was at one of these tables that Blake sat, quietly reading. Weiss walked up and sat, placing her bag quietly by her feet.<p>

Without looking up, Blake greeted her. "Good morning, Weiss."

"Good morning, Blake. How did you know it was me?"

Blake chuckled. "Because no one else would dare sit down at a table with me without an invitation."

Weiss smiled at that. She had seen more than once other people attempt to talk to Blake while she was reading. It wasn't a common occurrence, but when it did happen, Blake would give them a withering glare that was only ever matched by Weiss herself.

"Well I was hoping to talk to you this morning, I have a conundrum that needs solving."

The dark haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Really now? What would that be?"

"My dad and my sister both think I should make friends with those two new girls."

Blake actually shut her book. "Your sister I can understand, but your father? This is troubling."

Weiss sighed. "Yeah, I think I at least have to give it a shot, but I don't even know where to begin going about it, do you have any advice?"

Blake took on a thoughtful expression. "Well, I don't really know a lot about Ruby, but Yang and I spoke extensively during speech yesterday. Quite frankly she'd be the easiest one to become friendly with, in my opinion. You've had more interaction with Ruby than I have, but she seems more introverted than her sister."

Weiss was shocked at this admission. "Wait. You spoke with Yang? Extensively?"

Blake shrugged. "I found her interesting to talk to. And besides, she did more talking than I did, which could be part of the reason why I enjoyed our conversation."

"Blake Belladonna, are you telling me that you actually enjoyed talking to a stranger?!" Blake's only response was to shrug again. "Hmm. If you found her enjoyable to be around, then I suppose I could too."

Blake spoke quietly, "Like I said, your issue isn't going to be with Yang, but rather her sister."

Weiss frowned. "You're right, what am I going to do about Ruby? On the one hand, she seems very friendly, if a little shy. But I'm not sure she'd really want to talk to me after what happened yesterday. I was a little aggressive."

Blake hummed in agreement. "I would think that you should apologize before you try to get closer to her."

"I already did that yesterday, just before meeting you for lunch."

"And?"

Now it was Weiss' turn to shrug. "And she seemed to accept my apology. She smiled at me, which I suppose could mean she harbors no more ill feelings towards me."

"You won't know until you ask," Blake said.

Weiss huffed. "How would I go about asking that? 'Hey, Ruby, remember that time I shouted at you in front of the whole class? You aren't still upset about that are you?'"

The amber-eyed girl laughed. "Maybe not quite like that, but I would recommend making sure her feelings aren't still hurt by what you said. Whether you become friends with her or not, you wouldn't want to leave her upset about the events of yesterday."

The heiress shook her head. "Of course not. But I also don't want to make myself appear foolish by being overly apologetic."

"Weiss, in all the years I've known you, you've never even been that apologetic, let alone overly so." Weiss glanced up, and upon seeing the smirk on Blake's face, sent her a glare. The reader's expression softened. "Weiss, you're a nice person. Contrary to what the whole school may think, you've shown me that you have the capacity for friendship, even if you may lack the ability to begin one smoothly. Don't let your pride get in the way of doing what you need to do. Just approach Ruby like you would me, or your sister. Use kindness and respect, instead of indifference and condescension, and you may just be able to get this friendship off the ground."

Icy eyes met amber, "Blake, you really are too wise for your own good, you know that?"

Blake chuckled. "I try. Someone's got to be here to keep your head on straight."

"Well I appreciate it, thank you."

"No problem. Now, class is going to start soon, what do you have first?" This was not an unexpected question. At Signal High school, eight classes were separated into two days of four, each set occurring every other day. These days had been designated by school colors, yesterday had been a 'Red' day, so today was a 'Black' day, and thus a different set of classes.

Weiss sighed, "Ugh, Physical Fitness." Weiss had been avoiding taking this class for the past three years, but it was a required credit. It's not that Weiss wasn't fit or athletic, the opposite actually, she just didn't enjoy the concept of being forced to perform useless exercises. She was especially annoyed by the idea of having to use the locker room to change before and after the class, and because it was the first class of her day, she would need to use the showers if she didn't want to remain sweaty for the rest of the day. Fortunately the girls' locker room had individual shower stalls, it was the only blessing that Weiss could imagine.

"Well then I guess I won't be so alone today. I have that class as well."

"Really?" Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be if her friend was there.

"Yes. Oh, and if I remember correctly, Yang said she had the class this morning too."

The white haired girl groaned. "Oh joy. Well, I suppose it'll be a good opportunity to try and be more friendly with her."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Are you ready to go?" As she asked this, the ten-minute bell rang, so Blake nodded and packed her book.

They walked down to the gym, it was just off of the cafeteria. It wasn't necessarily a fancy facility, Signal was the oldest school in the district, so they hadn't been able to update it much. The most tech the gym had was an old electronic scoreboard, retracting bleachers, and basketball hoops. When they arrived they found other students milling around, chatting with each other as they waited for the class to begin and the teacher to arrive. Judging by the fact that no one had changed, Weiss assumed that the locker room had not yet been unlocked.

Blake pointed across the gym to two students. One was a blond boy in a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans, while the other boy was sporting a green windbreaker and a pink streak in his jet black hair. "Look, there's Jaune and Ren. Did everyone postpone this class until senior year?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Weiss said. "Pyrrha and Nora are over there too." She pointed to the the tall crimson-haired girl standing next to a shorter girl in white and pink with soft orange hair. "If the rumors about the teacher are true, then I'm amazed that anyone would've taken this course as a freshman."

Blake nodded. "What was his name again?"

"Winchester. I believe he's the father of that oaf Cardin."

The dark haired girl groaned. "Great, because I just loved dealing with him _so _much."

Weiss chuckled. "Was that sarcasm? You must be in a good mood today."

Blake frowned. "I was, until you told me that a Winchester would be my teacher."

"I wouldn't worry too much. I doubt we'll be standing still long enough to care, if what Winter told me about his class is any indication."

They chose to stop talking in favor of simply standing around, waiting for class to begin. As they waited, Weiss heard the doors to the gym open again and turned to see who had entered. She was shocked to see both Yang and Ruby walk into the gym.

Weiss turned to Blake. "I thought you said that only Yang had this class today."

Blake shrugged. "It stands to reason that because Yang was required to take this course that her sister was too. Honestly I don't know what you are so worried about, I thought you want to be more friendly with the sisters."

"Yes I do, but I didn't envision that I'd have to deal with both of them at the same time."

"Well what's the issue?" Blake asked. "The way I see it, Ruby is more comfortable around her sister, and vice versa, so the odds are they'd be more receptive to you in general if they're together."

"You may be right. Well, I guess there's no sense in waiting any more." With that, Weiss turned and walked toward the sisters, Blake following closely behind.

Yang saw them before they could say anything. "Hello, Blake! And… Weiss, wasn't it?" Weiss simply nodded. "Well, good to see you again," She turned to her sister. "Imagine the odds of the only two people we really know here being in the same class as us, huh Ruby?"

Weiss was definitely surprised by this warm greeting. She had hardly expected anything cordial from Yang, at least, especially after how she had treated Ruby previously. It turned out that her doubts were not unfounded as Yang continued speaking.

"Now we'll know exactly how immature we are while we're working out." Yang glared at Weiss. "And here I was wondering exactly what was wrong with me today."

Ruby elbowed her sister. "Yang, stop it. We went over this, she apologized. Everything's fine now." The brunette turned to Weiss and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about Yang, she's just…"

"No," Yang interrupted. "You don't have to speak for me. I am perfectly capable of telling Weiss that I am still upset about her treatment of you. I wasn't really able to yesterday but now that I've had time to think, I think that I can say confidently, that the way that she treated you yesterday only served to show how much of a bi-"

Ruby practically shouted, "Yang!"

The blonde went silent for a moment. "Well," she said. "That's what she is."

Her sister sighed. "Weiss, I'm sorry. I thought we had talked about everything, but apparently _someone_ had some things that she wanted to say."

Weiss simply shook her head. "No, she's right, Ruby. The way I treated you yesterday was wrong. I do not make it my business to humiliate others, and I am… _ashamed…" _she gritted her teeth through this word, not because she didn't actually feel that way, but because she was struggling in forcing herself to be humble. Humility was not a trait that most would ascribe to her, and she would not have put it to herself either. She continued. "... of my previous actions. Despite the injury you caused me," She couldn't let Ruby get off completely clean after all. "I overreacted, so I would like to apologize again."

The girl in red smiled. "You really don't have to do that. I already forgave you, Weiss, so don't worry. And I'm sure Yang has forgiven you too." She gave a very pointed look to her sister.

Yang glared back until she couldn't hold the gaze anymore. "Fine, yeah I forgive you. Whatever," She grumbled.

Weiss suppressed the urge to smirk, "Thank you, Yang."

A loud voice came from behind them, "Great! Absolutely wonderful! Now that everyone is one big happy family, maybe we can this damn show on the road, yeah?!"

They had been so focused on their conversation that they had not noticed the teacher walk in, hence the yelling. They turned to look at Mr. Winchester. He was tall, probably about six-foot five and he had some seriously large muscles. Weiss was wondering if it was possible for a human to have muscles that big and still be able to move properly. His black tracksuit did a good job of making him appear larger, not that he needed it. The four girls walked over to where the rest of the class was already standing.

"Thank you!" he shouted again. "Now, welcome to Physical Fitness. The purpose of this class is to educate you ridiculous weaklings on the proper forms of exercise and nutrition, so that maybe you won't all die of diabetes by the time you're forty. You will more than likely come to hate me in the next few months, but at the end of the day, when you're the healthiest version of you that you can be, you'll thank me." He stepped over to the entrances to each locker room never pausing in his introduction, "First things first, change into your workout clothes. It was specifically stated in your handouts at registration that you would need to bring them day one, so if you didn't, then tough luck! You'll be hitting the track in whatever you chose to wear today! No go get changed then head outside and meet me at the track. You have ten minutes!"

Everyone moved quickly to try and meet his time constraint. Weiss immediately moved to find a locker in the back corner, so as to avoid as many people as possible, as she spotted a locker that didn't already have a lock attached, she felt something brush past her quickly. Suddenly Ruby appeared in front of the locker in question, leaving Weiss both astonished at how fast she was, and simultaneously annoyed that her choice locker was taken. Weiss was about to move on to the next row up when Ruby called out.

"Hey Weiss, this one over here isn't taken," pointing to one two rows over. "It'll be like our regular lockers."

Weiss was torn, she really didn't want to have to change in proximity to Ruby, or anyone for that matter. Of course if she refused then Ruby would be hurt, having once again been spurned by the heiress.

The girl in red saw the look on her face and her expression immediately became downcast. "If you don't want to it's fine, I understand. You probably don't want to risk me breaking your neck or something."

Upon hearing this, Weiss made a snap decision. It was confusing why she reacted so quickly to the clearly saddened Ruby. "No, I'll take that locker. It's fine." _I'm going to have to take steps to befriend her anyway. Might as well start now._

Ruby's expression quickly brightened. "Alright!"

They changed quickly, and, once finished, headed back out to the gym. Weiss had chosen to dress modestly for this class, wearing a simple, blue, v-neck t-shirt and silver girl's basketball shorts. Ruby was dressed similarly but with a pink shirt and crimson shorts. They left through the side doors and down a short hallway before exiting out of the back doors of the school. From there it was a short walk down to the track that went around the practice field.

While they were waiting for everyone else to arrive, Blake and Yang exited the school and came walking down, chatting idly. Blake had told Weiss that she and Yang had spoken, but now that Weiss was seeing this for herself, she could barely believe it. The onyx-haired girl did not simply talk to a lot of people, and those that tried to usually did nothing more than annoy her. But here she was, actually communicating with the newest person in class and actually looking interested in the conversation. _Well, if Blake can make friends with someone that quickly, surely I should have no problem. _

Yang appeared to be actually glowing in the sunlight, and Weiss noticed immediately that the blonde was dressed far less modestly than her sister. An extremely tight orange tank top showing off the black sports bra underneath, and a pair of black running shorts that seemed way too short to be comfortable. Blake was wearing a similar tank top, though it was purple and didn't cling to her nearly as tightly, and a pair of black basketball shorts similar to Ruby and Weiss.

"Hey, Yang! Over here!" Ruby called out, waving to her sister. The two girls quickly joined them. "Whatcha talkin' about?" The brunette asked.

"Oh, nothing much," Yang replied. "Blake was telling me about how much of a hardass this Winchester guy is. I guess we're in for a hell of a year."

"I'm sure she didn't use such unnecessary language," Weiss said disdainfully.

"Excuse me for not being a bluenose, princess."

"I'm not a bluenose. I've _indulged_ myself in the occasional profanity when it was called for, but I don't see the point in using it regular conversation."

"And I've never seen the point in restraining myself just 'cause I make someone else uncomfortable. Hell, I don't even do that for Ruby, so why would I do it for you?"

"You don't have to, but I'm certainly not going to stick around to hear it."

"Fine by me, the less time I have to spend around you, the better I'll be."

Weiss huffed and looked away from Yang as the blonde also turned away. It was quite possibly the most childish thing that Weiss had ever done, but she refused to give Yang the satisfaction of knowing that she had won.

Ruby was dumbfounded. "Really, you guys? Am I going to be the one to have to tell you to be more mature?"

Blake chuckled. "I think we should probably just let them be. I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Blake."

"Hi, Blake! I'm Ruby, nice to meet you! You're friends with Weiss right?" Blake nodded. "Is she always like this?"

"No, this is actually outgoing. Normally she wouldn't even bother to speak to anyone."

"Alright, wimps!" Winchester called out. "Stand on this line! We, and by we I mean _you,_ are going to run two laps around this track. We will form teams using your placement in the race as a guide. Each set of four will be placed together, and the first person in the group will be team captain. Any questions? No? Then get ready!"

Weiss lined up next to Ruby and Blake, with Yang just behind her.

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Weiss bolted. She didn't actually care who she ended up in a team with, but the idea of being team captain sounded good to her, so she knew she had to come in first. Weiss was not subservient by nature, and couldn't imagine a situation where she would end up beneath anyone. With all class projects and partnerships, she was always giving the orders, always in charge. She knew she could do it here too, as long as she pushed herself a little harder. She was fit, and always quick on her feet. _It's only half a mile, _she told herself. _I've sprinted farther before, I can't remember when, but surely I have. No one should be able to beat me._

Weiss was lost in these thoughts as she was running, so much so that she missed it completely when Ruby caught up to her by the end of the first turn.

"Hey, Weiss!"

"Huh?" Weiss was broken from her thoughts. "Ruby! But I - am practically - dead sprinting here!" She said between breaths.

Ruby was somehow able to laugh while running. "Yeah, I'm pretty darn fast. I could of been a track star at Sanctum, but I can really only do this in short bursts, and definitely not multiple times in a day. That and I don't really enjoy sports that much."

They had just crossed the line into their second lap and Ruby was still going strong, having passed Weiss completely and was several paces ahead of her after the turn. Weiss pushed harder, catching up with Ruby again heading into the second turn. Weiss' legs were starting to give out, and she was having trouble catching her breath, but God forbid anyone beat her in a race. She thought she had it in the bag when, ten feet from the finish, Ruby suddenly burst forward in a blur and leapt across the finish line.

"First, Ruby Rose!" Coach Winchester shouted. "Second, Weiss Schnee! Come and shake hands with your partner."

_What!? She beat me! That _child _beat me! ARRGH! Wait, what? Partners! I forgot!_

Ruby beamed. "Weiss, we're partners! How cool is that?!"

"Third, Blake Belladonna! Fourth, Yang Xiao Long!"

Damn, Blake," Yang said, breathing heavily. "You are fast. And crap, princess, I don't think anyone's ever come that close to beating my sister in a race before!"

"You four are team one, make up a name." The coach went back to calling names, "Fifth, Jaune Arc! Sixth, Pyrrha Nikos! Seventh, Nora Valkyrie! Eighth, Lie Ren! You four are team two, make up a name."

Weiss barely heard this though, she was still fuming at her loss. _I can't believe this! I lost! And now Ruby's in charge. I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans she'll come up with!_

"Weiss? Weiss? Earth to Weiss!" Ruby yelled. "We're a team now!"

"Huh? I know that you dunce!"

"Well, we have to pick a name now."

Everyone looked deep in thought for a moment, then Ruby spoke up. "Ooh I know! we'll be team R-W-B-Y! It's our initials, plus it sounds like my name!"

"I don't have a problem with that," Yang said.

"I don't see an issue with it," Blake replied.

"Well I think we should vote on it," Weiss said. She didn't really want to be on a team named after the leader.

Ruby laughed. "I'm pretty sure we just did."

Weiss huffed. "Fine, we can keep the mane."

"Woo, Team RWBY is official! Bonzai!"

"Bonzai!" shouted Blake and Yang.

Weiss could only fume silently as Ruby went off to tell the coach their new name.

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><p><strong>Okay, that took way longer to write than it should have, but I think the result is fine. I know you are all wondering why I'm bothering with this, especially since it seems as though all I'm doing is rehashing RWBY. Well I'm not one to simply pair complete strangers off with each other after they've just met. These guys don't know each other at all really, so this is a good way to facilitate that. Don't worry, this isn't going to just be RWBY Volume 1 on Earth, I promise. The story is going to go it's own way from here on. I do actually have a real location and high school in which I am basing this story on, if you guys want to know where that is message me, and I'll tell you, it may help give some better image of where they go later if you can look for pictures. That and there are a couple of location specific events I want them to attend later. Thanks for reading and for being so patient with me! Have fun. This story is dedicated to Monty Oum and Leonard Nimoy. Keep moving forward, and live long and prosper.<strong>


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